NerdWallet’s Best Rewards Credit Cards With a 0% APR Promotion

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Many credit card issuers offer cards with generous 0% APR promotions that let you either finance a large purchase or consolidate and pay high-interest credit card debt interest-free for a certain period. While the interest savings are nice, the downside is that the best 0% APR cards usually don’t offer rewards, giving these cards limited ongoing value after the o% promotion is up.

Paying down your debt is more important than earning rewards in most cases. But if you want long-term value out of your credit card beyond the introductory 0% APR promotion, there are plenty out there that offer great rewards to offset slightly less favorable borrowing terms.

Best for a large purchase: Discover it® - Cashback Match™

5% cash back in quarterly rotating categories that include department stores, Amazon.com and more; 1% cash back on all other purchases. You could turn $150 into $300 with Cashback Match™. Get a dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, automatically. Intro APR of 0% on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 14 months, and then the ongoing APR of 11.99% - 23.99% Variable APR. Free access to your FICO score. No foreign transaction fees. Balance transfer fee of 3%. $0 annual fee.

If your big-ticket item belongs to one of the current 5% bonus categories on the Discover it® - Cashback Match™, you’ll earn big rewards and get extra time to pay it off interest-free. Plus, there’s a bonus for new cardholders: You could turn $150 into $300 with Cashback Match™. Get a dollar-for-dollar match of all the cash back you’ve earned at the end of your first year, automatically.

Discover Deals offers another opportunity to maximize your rewards. You’ll get access to exclusive online and in-store offers that can net you an extra 5% to 20% cash back.

You may be stuck with a low rewards rate if your ongoing spending doesn’t align with the card’s 5% bonus categories.

The bottom line:

While the 0% APR promotion period on this card isn’t the longest of the cards discussed here, it makes up for it by offering plenty of ways to rack up rewards. If you’re looking to make a large purchase and you don’t need longer than what the card offers to pay it off, this is the card for you.

Best for travel: Discover it® Miles

Match Mile For Mile: We’ll match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. For example, if you earn 30,000 Miles, you get 60,000 Miles. Unlimited 1.5 miles per dollar spent on all purchases. 0% on Purchases for 14 months and 10.99% on Balance Transfers for 14 months, and then the ongoing APR of 11.99% - 23.99% Variable APR. Free access to your FICO score. No foreign transaction fees. Balance transfer fee of 3%. $0 annual fee.

If you’re a big spender and you don’t mind an annual fee, other travel cards offer better rewards.

The bottom line:

If you want a travel card with flexibility and need some time to pay off a large purchase or a transferred balance, you can’t go wrong with the Discover it® Miles. If you’re planning to travel overseas, however, keep a Visa or MasterCard as a backup.

Best for small businesses: SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express

Earn a $200 statement credit after you spend $5,000 in qualifying purchases on your Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn an additional $200 statement credit after you spend an additional $10,000 or more in qualifying purchases on your Card within the first year of Card Membership. Terms apply. 5% cash back at office supply stores and on wireless telephone services purchased directly from service providers, 3% back on the category of your choice from a list of select categories and 1% back on other purchases (5% and 3% apply to purchases up to $50,000 annually). 0% on Purchases for 9 months, and then the ongoing APR of 13.24% - 20.24% Variable APR. $0 annual fee.

You’ll have access to American Express OPEN, with features including an online bonus mall where you can score discounts on business purchases, free access to ReceiptMatch with QuickBooks and a forum where you can learn from other small-business owners.

Drawbacks of the SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express:

Its 0% APR promotion doesn’t include balance transfers.

It has spending limits on its bonus cash-back categories, which can be a disadvantage if your business has a lot of ongoing expenses.

The bottom line:

The SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card from American Express is a solid enough business credit card for the rewards alone, so it’s nice to have the extra perk of a 0% APR promotion. The promotion period is relatively short, however, so make sure you can pay off the balance before it’s over.

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